Kyoto station complex

Accessible tofu and vegetable-centered Kyo-ryori in this tastefully decorated restaurant near Kyoto station. There are only four sakes, but they're chosen to go with the food; you can also choose from several fruit liqueurs. Prix-fixe dinners are priced Y2800-4500, lunch (served until 3pm) from Y1500.

In case you can't get reservations at the main branch of Kitcho, or if you can't swing a bank loan to cover your meal there, this is a more affordable, yet still elegant, alternative; full kaiseki service starts at around Y11,800.

Excellent Kyoto-style tonkatsu - you'll find tofu and yuba side dishes and other local touches, along with great tsukemono (pickles). The tasteful interior features earth-toned stucco walls and modern artwork.

Obanzai-ryori - Kyoto home-style cooking - is the specialty here, and you can choose from a wide selection of local delicacies in tiny portions. At lunchtime you get one main dish (tempura, fish, Kyoto-style chicken) plus an all-you-can-eat buffet, starting at around Y1400. Budget around Y3500 at dinnertime.

If you don't have time to travel the length and breadth of Japan, here at least is your chance to try some of the best ramen from around the country. Seven well-chosen shops serve ramen in various regional styles, from Sapporo to Kumamoto. There are also little stands selling roast chestnuts, soft ice cream and takoyaki.

Yet another Isetan branch of a Kyoto culinary landmark; this one features a pleasantly modern interior and a panoramic northward-looking view of the city. Food and drink averages around Y4000 at lunch and Y10-12,000 at dinner.

At first glance this looks like your typical chain izakaya, but the quirky menu offers Kyoto-style dishes and a big tofu section as well as Asian dishes and the mysterious "beer fondue nabemono." Drinks include premium sake from Kyoto breweries as well as Spanish and Australian wines. Non-smokers will appreciate the smoke-free section.

Kagaya serves Japanese food with an emphasis on the seafood and other specialties of Ishikawa Prefecture and Kanazawa on the Sea of Japan coast. Regular dinners start at Y3000, with kaiseki service from Y6000.

Excellent, skillfully prepared free-range chicken and a good selection of premium sake brands make this a popular spot for after-shopping snacking or late-night drinking. The decor is simple but chic Kyoto modern, with a panoramic view of central Kyoto and the mountains beyond.

JR Kyoto Isetan 10F. Open 11am-11pm. Closed some Tuesdays.

North and east of station

This popular shop lets you cook your own kushiage skewers in a deep-fryer right at your table. It's all you can eat, including various side dishes and a big variety of skewered tidbits. Y2625 per person, with a 90-minute limit. At lunchtime (until 4pm) it's Y1,575.

Good-quality fish and seafood at bargain prices at this outlet of a popular national chain. The menu also includes many local Kyoto touches and a decent sake selection. Most seating is in small private and semi-private rooms.

Shichijo-dori Karasuma-higashi-iru. (at the corner of Shichijo-dori and Karasuma) Open 11:30am-2:30, 4:30-11pm daily.

Ceramics, sake bottles and patterned tiles embellish the minimalist modern Japanese design at Touzan. Private tatami rooms have been reinterpreted as dining alcoves created by suspended blinds, while the main dining area looks out onto a wide Japanese rock garden. On the Grand Menu, perennial favourites like tempura, nishin soba and Kobe beef sit alongside more exotic fare like seared sea cucumber entrails. [See FULL REVIEW.]

trattoria sette has filled the void of casual restaurant-cafe cum bars in one of Kyoto's most historic districts. After being overawed by the 1001 statues of the goddess of mercy at Sanjusangendo temple this is a good place to gently bring yourself back down to earth. [See FULL REVIEW.]